The House of Atrum
by CreativityKiller
Summary: When Gotham turns on the masked vigilante he is forced to flee to the only place where you can truly disappear. With the aid of a notorious jewel thief, the Batman joins the largest congregation of villians Gotham has ever known and is forced to adapt to a new undercover life as a fugitive. Characters: Bruce Wayne/Batman, Catwoman, Scarecrow, the Joker, and the Riddler.
1. Betrayal

_"To me, the thing that is worse than death is betrayal. You see, I could conceive death, but I could not conceive betrayal." -Malcolm X_

"Well what's it gonna be then?" She asked me as we stood atop the rooftop of the police building. The bodies of a dozen unconscious police lay around us, and I could hear more thundering up the stairs. I pictured their guns and handcuffs, coming closer to arrest me once and for all.

"Either you come with me and live as a villain, or you stay here and let them catch you." The Catwoman's words rung in my ears. Her eyes shone bright and honest inside her mask. I weighed her words inside my head.

If I flee, then I become nobody. I lose everything I had, the money, the fame, the "Batman". I would be just another civilian. No, not even that, I would become a villain. A criminal. But if I stayed I would be hunted. They knew who I was by now, they knew the Caped Crusader was none other than Bruce Wayne himself. They knew where to find me; I wouldn't be able to escape. They had lured me into a trap, and I had followed their every step.

_I swooped in low onto the building, landing my footing and straightening up. Commissioner Gordon stood tall beside the gleaming Bat Signal just like I expected. His back was turned towards me as I took my next couple of steps. He turned slowly, and I caught a glimpse of shining silver in his hands. He looked up at me with distressed eyes. I stood still, doing my best to mask my confusion. _

_ "I couldn't keep them away any longer. I have to take you under arrest." Was all Commissioner Gordon said to me. He didn't move, or try to take me under his control, he just stood there, stalk still. I mirrored his body. I didn't move to run, or to fight, I was taken off guard. _

"_Aren't you going to run?" He hissed. _

"_Why?" I growled. His lips parted as if he was going to speak, but he was interrupted by the roof door slamming open. All I heard was the noise of footsteps swarming around me. A strong hand gripped my forearm, and I finally reacted. I swung my arm around, flipping the man straight to the ground. I turned arms up ready to fight, when suddenly a flash of dark mass flipped across my vision before it disappeared again. I searched quickly for the source and found a familiar woman crouched in front of me. Her leather suit caught the light just enough that I could make out most of her body before it disappeared against the black sky. The moment only lasted a minute before I could hear the shouting again, and feel the police around me. Selina Kyle, or rather Catwoman, was to her feet and fighting again._

_ I didn't have time to question why she was here, I needed to fight. At this point it was like second nature and my body took over, seeing and reacting while my mind traveled a million miles away. _

'_Why are they doing this?' I asked myself silently. I always knew a time would come where Gotham no longer needed The Batman. I just didn't expect it to be now, and I didn't expect it to be like this. I couldn't help but feel a slight pang of betrayal. After all I'd done for them they were just willing to throw me away? _

_ The last police officer dropped, but I knew there would be more. I turned to Catwoman. _

_ "Why are you here?" I asked her firmly. She smiled and looked up at me through her eyelashes. _

"_You're so _charming_." She teased, before turning serious (well as serious as she ever got) and speaking once more, "I got tipped off that they'd be arresting you, figured you'd need my help." I scoffed at that quietly and she continued speaking, "We need to leave. They know who you are Bruce. They are waiting at your house. You aren't safe." _

_ I paused for a moment, trying to make sense of all this. That meant they'd arrest Alfred, maybe even Dick. How could I let that happen to them? They'd take the money, the house, everything. It's possible that they'd even find the Batcave. It was unlikely, but possible. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. _

_ I was brought back to reality by Catwoman's light touch on my arm. _

"_Come with me, I'll make you a new life." She offered gently. _

"_I'm not a criminal." I said gruffly. And I meant it to. I wasn't, I was a hero, a symbol. _

"_Tell that to them." She quipped back logically. My head began to spin as I heard quick paced footsteps running up the rooftop stairs; backup. I sighed; I couldn't decide, not like this, not this quickly. _

_ "Well what's it gonna be then?" _

"Bruce!" The Catwoman's sharp words brought me back to reality. I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. Everything was silent for a moment, just a fleeting second. There was no distant sirens, no thundering footsteps, no shuddering breathing. It only took a second, and I'd made my decision. I raised my eyes to meet hers. She didn't need me to say anything, she already knew my answer.

I grabbed her arm, and leapt from the building.

* * *

I could honestly say that I'd been in this side of town only a couple times before, well, as Bruce Wayne that is. This was the "crime side" of Gotham and everyone knew it. Batman was here every week to pick off some drug dealer or mob boss one by one. I sat in what I assumed was Selina Kyle's living room. She has a dark brown couch, littered with rips and cigarette burns. I had taken my mask off and set it on the couch beside me. Selina stood in front of me, still fully dressed in her costume. She rested her hands on her hips and stared me down.

"We need to talk." She said sternly. I sat silently, waiting for her to continue. "You need to disappear."

"That's not as easy as it seems…" I said quietly.

"Oh but it is. I know one place where you can go to disappear forever." I raised an eyebrow. She took a few steps forward and leaned forward, placing her hands just above my shoulders on the couch. Her nose was centimeters from mine.

"You just have to trust me." She whispered, her breath ghosting over my lips. I said nothing.

"Good." She said pulling away and straightening up. "Well first, we'll need to get you a costume." I looked at her quizzically, glancing at my mask from where it rested just to the left of a singed hole about the size of my thumb.

"Oh no." She laughed as she strutted from the room, hips swinging. "Where we're going, being the 'Batman" isn't gonna _fly._"

I rolled my eyes at her badly placed pun and stood to follow her out of the room.

* * *

Over the course of the next few days Selina planned my "costume" as she called it. She explained to me that on the outskirts of town there was an apartment building bought out by some mob years ago. The local "super villains" used it as a hideout and there was plenty of room. It was where everyone went to run away from the law. It was undetected, forgotten about after all these years. All the biggest names in the crime business resided there. That's where she wanted to take me, to the biggest congregation of villains ever to exist.

The plan was simple, she stated, I dress up as Gotham's newest masked criminal, and she brings me to the house as her latest accomplice. I just try my best to fit in and stay low, they won't notice. No one makes you tell your true identity there, no one cares to know.

"They love me there." She purred, "Any friend of mine is a friend of theirs." She gave me a quick wink before walking toward the door.

"Oh yeah, and try that on will ya?" She said as she motioned to the pile of cloth that rested on the bed that sat in the bedroom. I frowned at it for a moment, before reaching out to grab it. I held up the smallest article of clothing.

I realized slowly that it was my old batman mask, just slightly altered. The bottom half, part that was usually opened for my mouth to show through was covered in a black silky material. The stitching was thick and obvious. I ran it between my fingers. It was smooth and soft and it stretched easily between my index and middle finger. The lightness of it made me realize just how easily it would breathe, perfect for a face mask.

I turned my attention to the eyes. The usual open spaces were replaced by red glass. I turned the mask around once more in my hands before pulling it quickly over my head. It was tighter around the eyes than I had expected, but it still fit well. I positioned the glass correctly over my eyes, realizing they were some form of goggles, night vision possibly. I blinked a few times and took a deep breath. It seemed to fit well, and it was movable. I glanced around the room, seeing everything in a red tint, before finding the mirror. I positioned myself in front of it, staring at my reflection. It was me, but my eyes were a bright red. The space around my mouth was black, just a tint darker than the latex of my original mask. The dark material covered my neck, and bunched slightly at my shoulders, leaving it looking rugged and messy.

I walked slowly back to the bed. I grabbed the next piece of clothing. It was a knee length, black leather trench coat. This I had seen before. My first night staying with Selina she asked me to try it on. She didn't give me any clues as to what she was going to do with it, she just wanted to see how it fit. It fit well, a bit tight, but I was able to move in it well. As I held it up now however, I realized just how much she had altered it. She has sown on many pockets throughout the jacket, and synched parts of the jacket with black belts and heavy metal buckles. I slid my arms through the sleeves and adjusted it over my body.

"Hey." A voice said from the door. I turned to look at Selina. "You need to put these on first." She said, holding up two black biker type gloves. I pulled the sleeves of the coat up and took the gloves in my hands. I positioned them to slip them on but Selina spoke again. "Be careful, they have knives." I inspected the gloves further, and realized at the tips of the fingers were pointed pieces of metal, almost like razors.

"Claws?" I asked. She laughed as she nodded. I slipped the gloves on and stretched my fingers. I clicked the metal together slowly, enjoying the sound. I pulled the sleeves of the jacket back down. Selina stepped forward slowly, her green eyes locked on to mine. She began strapping my jacket closed; the sound of clinking metal was the only sound that filled my ears.

After Selina finished I turned to see my reflection again. I had to admit it, I looked pretty good. Selina had done well.

"You about ready to go to 'the house'?" She asked playfully. I swallowed thickly, and nodded slowly.

* * *

**A.N. New story guys, go ahead and drop me a review and tell me what you think. Update will be up shortly for those of you who are interested. **


	2. Introductions

The car ride to "the house" was long, as it was far from Gotham's city center. For most of the ride I sat silently in the passenger seat, hiding my face when we passed by large groups of people so I wouldn't be noticed. It was a strange feeling, being wanted. I was a criminal now. I half heartedly wondered if they had released it to the public that Bruce Wayne was the Batman yet… I assumed they had. I had nothing anymore, all my titles had been stripped, my money was no doubt under surveillance, and my house had most likely been taken. I sighed and turned to Selina.

"I'm never going to be able to show my face again." I stated solidly. Selina laughed, and I was slightly offended at her insensitivity.

"Do you really think any of us can show our faces?" I frowned.

"I'm not like you. I'm a hero, not a criminal."

"Bruce…" she sighed, "I know it's hard for you to understand right now, but Gotham doesn't want you-"

"But they _need _me!" I cut her off, my voice lowering slightly.

"They don't see it that way." She sounded almost sad as she said it, her eyes casting down for a brief moment. I turned my head away and glared angrily out the window.

"Look, I know this isn't exactly all fun and games for you. You're a good guy and whatnot. But where else are you going to go?" She asked hotly, her sharp tongue and sarcasm coming back into play. "You are a fugitive now; probably one of Gotham's most wanted. Here at the house they don't ask questions, they don't judge you. You can be anyone you want, and they aren't going to care, Bruce. So this is the best you can expect at the moment. Maybe things will cool down, and Gotham will realize that the Batman is what they need; maybe they'll want you back. But until then, stop your whining and be thankful you're not in Arkham." She finished her speech and awaited my reply. When I said nothing she huffed loudly. "Fine. Brood all you want. You have about a half hour until we get to the house, then you better buck up and enjoy yourself."

The silence lasted for the next few minutes before I finally decided to change the subject. "Why is it called the house?" I asked, turning my attention back towards Selina and masking my anger.

"It's actually called the House of Atrum. I don't really know _why_ it's called that, it just is…" She shrugged her shoulders. I thought for a minute.

"Atrum?" I asked.

"Yes. That's what I said. Atrum." She said, visibly annoyed.

"Is that a name?" I asked.

"I don't know Bruce. Ask someone else." She growled. I frowned down at my lap and silently took note that The Catwoman had a very short temper. Something that would come in handy if I was to be around her for long periods of time.

The House was what looked like an old style apartment building. It was tall, three or four stories. It was made of faded brick and the windows were evenly spaced, though some of them were broken or boarded. I took note of the fire exit on the West side of the building, just for future reference. Selina parked her car in the parking cover behind the building and we got out. I was surprised at how well kept the grounds were. The lawn was slightly overgrown, and there were fallen leaves on the sidewalk, but there weren't any dead bodies or weapons of mass destruction on the lawn as I had expected. Selina must have caught me staring because she spoke up about it.

"That's Scarecrow's doing… He's a bit of a neat freak…" I looked up at her. I was finding it slightly difficult to adjust to seeing things in the red tint of the mask.

"Crane is here?' I asked after mentally debating on whether or not to speak in my Batman cover voice or not. I logically decided against it. We began walking around to the front of the building before she spoke again.

"Yeah, you'd be surprised." I wasn't sure how to take that statement exactly, did she mean I'd be surprised _he _was here or by _who else _was here? I decided not to ask. We arrived at the door and opened it casually. "Ready for the grand tour?" She asked teasingly. I said nothing.

"Who's he?" A large man asked from the bar that sat in the foyer.

"A friend." Catwoman hissed back, and he shrugged his shoulders. I looked around curiously, realizing just how much it resembled an old apartment. In the opening foyer there was a bar, with a few old bar stools. They were mismatched and duct taped, to no surprise. They didn't honestly seem very stable. To floors were light wood that was dented in many places. There was a lounge type area with a few ripped leather couches, much like the one at Selina's house, circled around a TV. The TV appeared to have been shot however, so it seemed quite useless. The main staircase was large and very eloquent, with red carpeted stairs. I was starting to notice a pattern about the House however, everything was either ripped or dented.

Above the stairs hung a large wood sign with the words "The House of Atrum" burned artfully into it. I smiled at it appreciatively.

"This is the main floor. The kitchen is through there," Catwoman said as she gestured to a large door just passed the lounge. "But there's never any food in there. You gotta find your own." When I didn't respond she sighed and grabbed my arm, leading me towards the stairs.

As we walked up them she explained that there was four floors to the House, with a basement that lead directly to the underground sewer systems. She told me to avoid the basement at all costs, the things that happen down there stay down there. I was tempted to ask what exactly went on down there but before I could she was on the next statement.

"Each floor is dedicated to different villains in a way. I mean no one really ever says it, we all just know who each floor belongs to." I didn't really understand, but I didn't feel like asking would be the smartest idea.

Each floor was almost exactly as I had figured it would be. Simple hallways with rooms on each side. The building was small as a whole, so there were only about four rooms on each floor. Some of the doorways were broken and I assumed that the locks were all shattered at least once.

"There's no privacy here. You gotta understand that, and get used to it." I nodded in acknowledgement and she continued to speak. "The gangsters usually hang out here, this is kinda their area, ya know?" She said as she gestured to the floor area around us, the second floor. I shrugged and she rolled her pretty green eyes. "About four gang members live here at all times, six on a crowded day. It's a place to get away to when you're wanted, yeah?" I nodded. "Alright then... Next floor!"

"The third floor is the best floor." Catwoman said with a wink. I was confused about that statement but I didn't ask. "All the best fights happen here." She laughed.

"Who's?" I asked as we got to the top of the stairs.

"Well you see, good old Joker-Man finds it funny to steal little Spooky's drugy-wugy's." The voice that spoke was not Catwoman's, in fact it was not a woman's at all. It one a recognized well, and I turned quickly to see the Joker leaned against the doorway of the room nearest to the stairs. I stayed silent, as much as I wished to hit him, I stayed silent. He walked forward, and inspected me closely. He walked around me in a circle, slowly and methodically.

"Well well well... Look what the cat dragged in..." The Joker said casually before doubling over in hysterical laughter at his own joke. I clenched my jaw.

"Very funny Joker. Now if you'd mind I'd like to continue my tour." Catwoman said coldly as she grabbed my arm and dragged me around the man who was now on his knees.

"Up we go." She said as she dragged me up the stairs once again. "I usually stay on the third floor. Not 'cause I have to, no way! In fact, Two Face has offered for me to stay upstairs with him many times, but why would I leave a floor with so much... excitement?" She laughed to herself quietly. I didn't reply.

"And here we have the final floor." It looked identical to the previous ones. I sighed.

"So let me get this straight..."

"Each floor has a certain designation. First floor is the foyer. You can hang out there if you'd like, but it's oddly boring. Second floor is the gangsters. They hold down the House, keep it safe and running. They're the sane ones! Haha!" She laughed to herself, turning to me for reassurance, but I stayed silent. "Fine then... Anyway, the third floor is me and mine. We got me, Joker, and Little Old Scarecrow. And then up here, we got the boring ones. Two Face, Pretty Little Ivy, and... Oh yeah, and that crazy one, the Riddler. Eh. He can be fun I guess." She shrugged her shoulders casually.

"-I don't care to be honest. Deal with it yourself." A voice said as a man walked out of a room toward the end of the hall. I looked up to see Two Face, his scars more gruesome than I remembered. He strode down the hall toward us in his slightly scuffed blue button up shirt. Behind him trailed a man who walked slouched, the picture perfect definition of submissive.

"But please, I need you to do something-" the man pleaded slightly before yelping suddenly. He was cut off by Two Faces arm across his chest as he was slammed against the wall. He put his hands up terrified, as if to surrender.

"I don't care Crane. If you want to keep your life you'll stop talking to me about this." Two Face growled. He bunched his hand up tightly in the center of Dr. Crane's collared shirt and tossed him to the ground, he landed near my feet with a small gasp of pain. Catwoman snickered beside me.

"I see you found a friend." Two Face stated, his lips pulled into a tight line. It took me a second to realize he was talking to us. I tore my eyes away from the blue eyed man who was trying to straighten up. He seemed to be having trouble, and I wondered vaguely if he was injured. I looked up to Two Face just to catch him staring straight at me.

"He's with me." Catwoman purred. Two Face nodded.

"Find him somewhere to stay." He turned his attention to Catwoman. "I'm going out tonight. Bank Robbery. Could be promising, join me if you'd like." And with that he pushed past us and began to walk down the stairs before stopping and turning to us once more.

"Actually, if you wouldn't mind, I need you there as backup. Bring your friend if you'd like. But I suggest you follow me." Then he began to walk again. Catwoman sighed and turned to me.

"You stay here." She commanded before slinking off after Two Face. Once she disappeared completely I heard movement from the man on the ground. I turned to him quickly, watching him struggle to stand. I reached out a hand, but he slapped it away. He stood swaying slightly on his feet.

"I'm fine. The Joker shocked me." He growled before I had even asked. He eyed me carefully, just staring. I felt uncomfortable and wished to leave, though I knew it was not my place to do so.

"You should leave now, before you have nowhere else to go." He hissed. I was surprised at how much more venom was in his voice now than there had been earlier as he begged Two Face for whatever it was he wanted.

"I wouldn't be here now if I had somewhere else to go." I said coldly before I even registered the words leaving my mouth. Crane's mouth twisted into a smile.

"Ah. I see. Well then, I suppose you'd like to stay downstairs? Yes. Well, I'll show you to your room then I guess." He motioned for me to follow him, stumbling slightly as if he was drunk. He motioned for me to go first down the stairs, turning to me and smiling as if he knew something I didn't, which I was sure without a doubt he did. I lead the way down the stairs, hesitant about every step.


End file.
